Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

then…

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Baby, baby
I’m taken with the notion
To love you with the sweetest of devotion
Baby, baby
My tender love will flow from
The bluest sky to the deepest ocean

Stop for a minute
Baby I’m so glad you’re mine, yeah
You’re mine

Amy Grant

What a day that was! I recall waking up that morning (we had a waterbed if you can believe it), rolling over and discovering my wife nowhere to be found.

Climbing up and out of bed (complete with sloshing of water), I slipped from the bedroom into the hallway and found my pregnant better half sitting on the floor – noticeably distressed. I smiled, and slid down the wall beside her, asking if she was alright. She said she just felt uncomfortable and didn’t want to wake me.

It happened to be that we had a scheduled doctor’s appointment that Tuesday morning for a regular follow-up. Even though we suspected she was in labor, my wife insisted on keeping that appointment as opposed to going directly to the hospital, not wanting to be sent home due to false labor, even though we were several days past the due date.

Within a few minutes of the appointment starting, Dr. Major advised that today was the day we were going to meet our baby for the first time! I remember both of us looking at each other and then at the doctor as if to say, “yes, but are you sure?”

After driving downtown to the hospital and getting checked in, we began the journey to our first day as parents. Oddly enough, the hospital received calls BEFORE we arrived to see if our baby had been born yet (my wife is a teacher, so she has a large swath of friends).

I recall watching “As the World Turns” on the TV up in the corner of the room as I kept answering calls transferred to our room from family and friends checking in to see how things were progressing. Finally, the nurses were able to stop the influx of phone calls and we (actually she) got down to business.

Suffice it to say that early that evening, the most amazingly beautiful and angelic baby girl came into the world and into our lives. We were truly blessed and thankful.

As is customary, our baby spent some time in the nursery for observation, and I spent considerable time at the window gazing in at her and all the other babies. I may have previously relayed this part of our story, but two high-school age guys were standing next to me looking in as well, and one of them said to the other, “look at that one…she’s freakin’ adorable!” (or something similar). I smiled wide and said, “she’s mine”, and they grabbed a handshake and offered me hardy congratulations, unknowingly offering to me my very first external dose of pride in my child.

We had a wonderful meal that evening (steak and potatoes as I recall), with our baby in her bassinet right next to us. We’d moved to a bonding room, so the three of us spent that first night together as a family.

The next morning, I went down to grab a paper and some coffee and came back and marveled that this whole experience wasn’t some dream. It was real and honestly more than I can explain (and more than you’d want to read) in a single blog post.

To simply imply being a dad was transformational in my life would be an understatement. Witnessing my sweet girl grow, change, and shine right before my eyes over years has been the greatest gift God has ever given.

Today, when someone asks me about my personal experience with fatherhood, I always reply that just when you think it can’t possibly get any better or the magic more astounding, darn if that child doesn’t rachet up the enchantment and surpass all your expectations!

Today, my baby girl has a son of her own who is the spitting image of his mama (and his mama’s mama). Thirty-plus years on in my life, and the magic remains as strong as it was on that day in May of 1991 when I experienced my first brush with fatherhood.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

1 Corinthians 13:13

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